Readings:
Codependency, Perceived Interparental Conflict, and Substance Abuse in the
Family of Origin
- Knudson and Terrell
Co-dependency is a term used to identify certain unhealthy behaviours. It’s a “dysfunctional Commented [cg1]: Google says: Codependency is a
pattern of relating to others with an extreme focus outside of oneself, lack of expression of behavioral condition in a relationship where one person
enables another person's addiction, poor mental health,
feelings, and a personal meaning derived from relationships with others” immaturity, irresponsibility, or under-achievement.
Among the core characteristics of codependency is an
Co-dependents, busy taking care of others, forget to take care of themselves, resulting in a excessive reliance on other people for approval and a
sense of identity.
disturbance of identity development.
Dysfunction in the family of origin has been found to be related to developing co-dependency
in adulthood.
NB for researchers to agree on what kind of familial dysfunction influences the development of
co-dependent traits. Various studies have found correlations between parental unit’s
behaviours & co-dependency in adulthood.
Codependents feel a responsibility toward others’ feelings & happiness as do many children
who feel toward their parents who engage in frequent conflict. Perceived interparental conflict
has been associated with child maladjustment. A child’s perception of interparental conflict
includes the specific conflict, how its resolved & the child’s role in that conflict.
Defining Codependency
Definition is widespread.
Co-dependency expresses the pain & helplessness associated with an overwhelming feeling of
responsibility for others that dominates one’s life. It’s a dysfunctional pattern of relating to
others with subsequent difficulty and painful interactions.
Most current agreed upon definition: the area of relationship dysfunction & identity
disturbance.
In their study: co-dependency is the “dysfunctional pattern of relating to others with an
extreme focus outside of oneself, lack of expression of feelings, and a personal meaning
derived from relationships with others”.
Measures co-dependency on 3 characteristics: [1] maintenance of an external locus of
control, [2] lack of an open expression of feelings, [3] use of control, denial & rigidity in
order to create a sense of purpose in relationships.
Researchers found a correlation between co-dependency & various family stressors, separate
from subs abuse. Codependency may be one aspect of wider multigenerational family
systems.
Other studies found various styles of parenting, such as parental coercion, control, a lack of
communication, & non-nurturance to affect the development of co-dependency in adulthood.
, Argue that these experiences (lack of role clarity, coercive parenting styles, lack of affective
expression, & low degrees of communication) are common to families of origin with subs abuse
as well.
Higher levels of co-dependency showed a significant relationships to having an alcoholic parent,
mentally ill parent & physically ill parent in the family origin.
Common patterns in a co-dependent’s past are the unwritten rules that generate in the
immediate family. For example: learned helplessness, originates in a child’s feeling of
powerlessness over disturbing stimuli in the family of origin.
Co-dependency stems from an intergenerational pattern of problem solving formed within
a family system where there have been various types of dysfunction.
Because researchers believe that co-dependency stems from a pattern or family system that
supports dependence in interpersonal relationships characterized by a loss of individual
autonomy & a distortion of reality & because children learn to relate to others by watching their
parental unit’s interactions, co-dependency, then may point to dysfunctional learned
behavioural pattern in relationships that reflect the parental unit’s relationship.
Perceived interparental conflict:
Perceived interparental conflict has been associated with child maladjustment, specifically
internalizing (eg: depression and anxiety) & externalizing (eg: violence) behaviours. Describes
internalizing behaviours as inclusive of problems such as withdrawal, anxiety, and depression.
Externalizing behaviour is when a child negatively acts on his/her external environment.
Externalizing and internalizing behaviours frequently occur together.
Significant associations between children’s perceptions of the properties of interparental
conflict & their internalizing and externalizing behaviour. Specifically, found the children’s
appraisals of threat & self-blame were most highly associated with internalizing behaviour.
Significant correlations between perceived interparental conflict & adolescent self-esteem
and identity issues.
Found that family systems, including a parental unit’s relationship, may influence their offspring
and the ways grown children revisit these influences as they select partners and engage in adult
intimacy.
Experiences in family origin have the ability to influence many aspects of identity, including the
capacity to trust and develop a healthy dependency.
Co-dependency is a disturbance in identity development, specifically in relationship
dysfunction, arising out of various family stressors. Co-dependents feel a responsibility
towards others’ feelings and happiness, as do many children whose parents engage in
frequent interparental conflict.
Co-dependency may develop as a result of this feeling of learned responsibility from the
family of origin that does not exhibit subs abuse.
